Page:Russian Wonder Tales.djvu/339

Rh along a highroad and where it crossed an arm of the sea-ocean there lay stranded a huge whale-fish so that people on horses and afoot crossed upon his body. And the monster spoke to me and asked me how much longer it must needs endure that torture and how soon it should be free?"

Then Tzar Zmey drowsily answered her. "It shall lie there until it vomits forth again, whole and sound, twelve ships which it swallowed without my permission three years since in the middle of the sea-ocean."

The girl said: "Then in my dream I went on till I came to a broad river, where a ferryman plied back and forth. And when he had ferried me over he asked me how much longer he would be made so to labor, and when he should be free."

Tzar Zmey, half asleep, answered: "Let him only take into his boat the first who comes, and, leaping out himself, push the boat out into the stream. Then will the newcomer be compelled to ferry in his place forever."

Having thus spoken, the Serpent-Tzar fell fast asleep and snored till the walls trembled, when the girl opened the coffer and Wassily the Unlucky thanked her and left the Palace. He caught his horse on the meadow, mounted and hastened back